Wichita eagle., 1887-09-30
COUNCIL TODAY
To Consider Report of Engineers Rosewa'er
and Christie.


| and Christie concerning the sewerage Of the
city. The report is asfollowS and Will be ac-
companied with drawings and detailed esti-
| mate Of cost:
OMAHA, Neb', Sept. &c, 1887.
To the Hon he Mayor and City Council. Wichita,
Kansas:
Gentlemen:-We have the honor to submit
to YOU as the r. suit of careful typographical
SURVEYS and mature considerati III or all
the bearings IN the case, complete plans and
Specifications and estin ates =, a system of
sewerage for the city of wichita within the
territory prescribed in our agreement under
dale of June 81, A D, 1851.
This extends from Carey avenue on the
north to Harry street on the south and from
Hydraulic avenue on the east to the Arkan-
sas river on the y est 1t also includes sever
al additional tracts shown upon the msp ac-
comparing this report.
The develo 9ments of surveys present the
following facts:
The general level of the city differs but
very little from slightly u, du 'atiDg plane
with varying s,opes TO the east, west and
south towards the Arkansas river and It's
tributary, Chisholm creek, The surface
slopes are SO ligh.. .s to leave less than four
feet to the mile or one in 1,5O in the
most favored portions OF the city,
while in others even that Is not
attainable. The hige water level of the
Arkansas is within three feet of the level of
If the low sectious of the city and about six
feet below the business center. While the
Arkansas river is the ultimate outlet for all
drainage of the cry. tle pecu ar topography
of Chi>holm creek DRAIN larger part If Lie
city directly di-charging its tonIents thu ee
miles below IL into the Arkansas river.
Though tributary stream, this creek has its
normal flow line in the vicinit, OF four feet
below the level OF the A. kansas river along
the east side of the city.
This apparent par adox is accounted for by
its discharge below long bend of the river
and the further fact that, for q mile or more
aoove its mouth, its rate OF fail is much
smaller than that Of the Arkansas. With
these facts as basis it becomes evident that
whatever sy stem Of sewers Is determined
ment that will afford a fall sufficient to
insure a velocity 10 prevent cogging,
one that will be free from back
water at the highest stage Of the
river and above all, one that will deliver
sewage waste that enters it quick enough at
all times to prevent decomposition AID the
formation of resultant gases dangerous to
puniic health.
Not altogether an impendent consideration
in connection with those cited is the factor
Of relative cost
While the main purpose OF saver system
is to dispose of sewage matter proper, 1t is
always best where both can be done to pro
vide or the disposal the surface drainage
re- ulting from storm water.
la fact until within fifty years the disposal
of storm water was regarded as OF first I'M
portance, aud b. use vast was 10 q large ex
tent neglected. The leading cities of Europe
constructed extraordinary large conducts for
storm water and with few exceptions house
sewage was enpted into ceS, pools and out
houses, there TO develop germs OF disease
that peoI iodicaily spread death by the thous
ands In density populated districts.
The imp rtance of sewage disposal proper
was first developed IN striking manner in
the populpuS dis riots of London where con-
tagion after contagion develop the oreaniza-
ton of s ieutific health boarcs who engaged
experts to Investigate into the causes aud
suggest proper remedies
The direct cause of a large proportion Of
the scourgt was traceabe 10 poisoned wells
occ isioned by percolauon from cess pools
and outhouses Of decomposing matters there
In contained.
Their discontinurnce and prohibition by
legal enactment. led to a wonderful reduc
ton Of death rates and these Improvements
were followed by others that gradually led 10
improved sewerage disposal and the treat
science.
Between 1910 and 1850 discussion arose
among members OF the British Institute OF
Engineers upon the propriety of separat
ing sewerage from storm water alto
gether. hy providing distinct conduit sys-
TENS for each.
IL was during this period that Dr. Chad
wick, u noted saDlterian, first suggested anu
urged a separate sys EN- of sewers.
The plans based upon these ideas were car
ried out IN Humorous small towns in England
and since the experiment. some eight ears
ago in Memphis, in this country, not less |
han thirty cities in the United States have |
adopted 1t either in part or entirely. Re !
as we do the combined system of |
normal flow can be secured in all |
Tue lines, and especially in the mains, |
SO that they can carry off all sewage matter |
within a short time OF its entry into the |
sewer or where there is possibility of secur-
ing reasonably hort mains to keep the cost |
vii hin the means of the community propos-
posing to build them. we ave carefully an
alyzed the conditions imposed by the topog |
raphy and fiud, first, that to secure a fall |
from the different sections of the city and |
for the di-poSal of storm water
neither the mains nor sub-maius can be dis |
charged into the Arkansas river alor the |
west front of the city, as in that event their
70 would bring them very n ar the surface |
Hnd the aterals for houss service would not |
every storm filling the mains would back into |
tie lat-rals. and in view Of their fiat grades |
make sedimentary deposit that would stop /
b. m up.
SEQ d-Even if these savers built as re-
ferr' TO they would be so large that during |
Intervals between rains the slight flow O
house sewage would spre adj SO thlujy over
their surface as to leave all solid sediment |
upon them TO decompose and generate deadly !
gas which, during the dry, hot seasons of the
yea, would be not only exceedingly I'M
healthy, but disagree, ably odorous.
Third-Fo discharge the sewers, or a part |
II them, iuto CHISHOLM creek, along the
front Of the city, in der to gain by tie
level, would be impractical on account If Its
frequent rise to the & p of its banks. thus
causing back water, with the same result
upon the lateral sewers, and in addition 1t
would he decided y adyisable in view of
the proximity 10 the heart of the city and the
lmi ed flow duriug dry seas ns of the year
Fourth-The only practical way therefor
)t building sewer system on q combined
ylan is TO carry the main TO the Arkansas
rive or into Chishol n creek half miie
above its junction, where the volume of
water and how is sutfi lent, and a connec-
hon can be secured above high water to in
ure against back water. This would re-
luire sewer main of fficient magnitude e.
Train the entire area OF the city. or a. out
1000 acres, during ordinary heavy raius
Allowing for but one inch of rainfall, and
hat but half bf that would reach the
sewer within the hour of falling, the ,ewer
must have capacity TO discharge 40. $50
'ublc feet, or over ~ ,000 600 gallons, Der
hour. This, with the attainable grade,
would require diameter of thirteen feet
Unless IL we built with an open invert,
which Tor var ious resSoos would be objec-
ionaole, about II feet of filing over the
'rese surface would be needt d to insure its
u &C ical consI ruction. In addition 70 ths |